Improved block-disengaging hook



- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL BROWN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGN OR TO HIMSELF AND LEON LEVEL, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVED BLOCK-DISENGAGING HOOK.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 52,636, dated February 13,1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL BROWN, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boat-Blocks, called Brownls Lightning Disengaging Eye,77 to be used for launching boats from the sides of ships and other purposes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is an edge view of a block with the improved eye, eye closed. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, eye closed. Fig. 3 is an edge view of block with eye opened. Fig.5 exhibits the two sections of the eye in a closed position. Fig. 6 shows sections of the eye when opened.

vThe nature of my invention consists in furnishin g an eye which, while forming a perfectly Secure connection, may, when necessary, be instantaneouslydisengaged. Thedrawingsshow the application of this eye to a block, but itis not intended to restrict the application to this specialty, but to claim the same as applied in any situation where an eye is needed which combines facility of instant disengagement with perfect security.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the drawings, in which- A is the block with sheaves S S, to which is attached, by strap K K along the sides, the iron bed-piece J, from which projects the jaws I I. Surrounding these jaws is the slide F, having a projection, G, recessed at e. Within the space inclosed between the jaws I I and the slide F work the sections E E of the eye proper. The form of these sections is shown in Figs.5 and 6. Fig. 5 shows their position when the eye is closed; Fig. 6 when it is opened. These sections E E, when' in place, are secured by rivets T T through the jaws I I, and passing, the one through the aperture U, the other through V. These rivets, when in place, allow the eye to be closed or opened, but do not admit of the sections being displaced from the jaws I I.

The motion of the side F upward opens the eye 5 its downward motion closes it.

' The slide F is moved by a lever, L, working on a hinge, N, and provided with an arm, H, the outer extremity of which plays in the recess e. l

The long lever-arm L is slotted to slip over an eye, o, attached to the strap K. The lever may be secured then by a pin, P, until a few moments before it is wished to disengage. A ring, R, to which a lanyard, C, is attached, slips loosely upon the upper end of the leverarm L, and is prevented from sliding` down too far by a projecting hook, rl.

The iron work of my machine should be well finished and galvanized.

The operation of my machiney may be illustrated by reference to one of its common uses, to wit, disengaging -a boat from the tackles after lowering. While the boat is being lowered by the tackles the lever L is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The pin being in place guards against any accidental displacement of the lever. So soon as the boat, having nearly reached the water, is ready for disengaging, the pins P P are removed from the blocks at each end of the boat, and at the signal for letting go the lan yards C C are smartly pulled, the levers take the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the eye F opens, and the boat is launched. The rings R R slip oft' vfrom the end ofthe lever, and, remaining attached to the lanyards, lare drawn into the boat.

This eye ma\v be attachedfor many purposes and operated in a variety of ways.

Having thus described my invention so as to enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same without further invention or eX- periment, I will now proceed to state what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

that is to say:

The bed-piece J, with jaws I I, andthe segments E E, operating by the slide F, with recessed arm G and lever L M, or their equivalents,substantially as and for the purposes herein specified and set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 12th day of October, A. D. 1865.

SAMUEL BROWN. [L. s]

Witnesses:

G. W. M. SMITH, A. DoBRoWsKY. 

